The Banff Centre and The Citadel Theatre are extremely proud to partner in creating Western Canada’s premiere professional theatre program launching 2008. This unique partnership of an internationally recognized training institution and a major professional theatre is the first of its kind in Canada.
Under the direction of Bob Baker, Citadel Theatre’s artistic director, this new program is designed to be a distinct alternative to other drama training programs in North America. The program will focus on the development of advanced skills for emerging professional actors, properly equipping them with the necessary tools to pursue and sustain successful acting careers within the North American theatre scene.
The Banff/Citadel Professional Theatre Program will embrace the artist’s strengths while encouraging the exploration of new concepts. The program will include a curriculum with master classes in acting, singing, voice, movement, dance, text, and script analysis by a faculty comprised of some of this country’s leading theatre artists. The program will culminate in a mainstage production that will play the Banff Summer Arts Festival and then open the Mainstage Series at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton.
The Banff Centre, celebrating their 75th Anniversary this year, is a globally recognized arts institution, educating participants across the vast spectrum of media. Banff Centre alumni create, produce and perform works of art all over the world, lead our institutions, organizations and businesses, and play significant roles in our cultural, social, intellectual and economic well-being, and in the preservation of our environment.
The Citadel Theatre is recognized as a leader in Canadian theatre. They produce work of the highest quality, premiere new plays, develop the skills of professional artists, invest in youth and families, and contribute to the quality of life in the Edmonton community. The Citadel Theatre houses five performing spaces and offers 11 plays and a ten-day teen festival annually. A registered charitable organization, the Citadel also operates a year-round theatre school and develops and produces at least two new Canadian plays each season.